New Ruggedized ThinkPad Laptops Are A+ Classroom Performers

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. (BUSINESS WIRE), July 31, 2012 - Lenovo (HKSE: 0992) (PINK SHEETS: LNVGY) today announced the ThinkPad X131e laptop, built especially for students with the technologies to enhance classroom learning along with a rugged design to meet the physical demands of the school day and beyond. The ThinkPad X131e offers choices of Intel® Core™ and Celeron® processorsor AMD E-Series Accelerated Processing Units (APUs) for strong performance, Dolby® Advanced Audio® for rich and resonant sound, vibrant HD graphics and USB 3.0 for fast data transfers. The PC’s cover displays a wireless activity LED indicator so teachers know when students are using WiFi in the classroom. Built for the rigors of education, the laptop also includes customization and security options for schools’ IT teams.

“We know from experience that students are our toughest customers – literally – and for that reason we make it a point to go above and beyond our standard ruggedness features in the laptops we introduce for education,” said Dilip Bhatia, vice president, ThinkPad Business Unit, Lenovo. “To help combat the extreme wear and tear students subject their laptops to, we’ve designed our toughest education PC yet by incorporating heavy-duty, military-grade features, while packing the device with top of the line technology so teachers can offer students the latest in digital learning.”

Student-Tested, Teacher-Approved

The powerful ThinkPad X131e can handle a variety of student assignments, from working with video and creating presentations to managing data and other word processing tasks. The 11.6-inch laptop includes choices of dual core AMD E-300 and E2-1800 APUs with AMD Radeon™ graphics or Intel® Core™ i3-2367M and Intel® Celeron® 877 processors with Intel® HD Graphics; all help to deliver multimedia-rich lessons. ThinkPad X131e PCs equipped with Intel processors also offer the option of including Intel® Learning Series Software Suite, a collaborative and user-friendly tool designed for one-to-one eLearning and classrooms around the world.

The convenient LED light on the laptop’s cover shows wireless activity to give teachers a quick visual cue that students are connected to the Internet for lessons requiring connectivity -- and offline when the work calls for simple word processing or other local activity. This convenient aid to teachers helps keep students following along with the lesson.

The laptop’s Dolby® Advanced Audio® boosts the performance of the built-in speakers and enhances classroom learning that includes music, video and games. Additional multimedia functions include a low-light webcam and Lenovo’s Instant Resume function, allowing students to maintain a WiFi connection while moving from class to class.

Kid-proofed Design

Lenovo built the ThinkPad X131e for mobility throughout the school day with its lightweight design, less than four pounds,1 and with long battery life, up to 8.5 hours.2 Student-tested, heavy-duty features include:

Reinforced hinges: because frequent opening and closing of laptops can accelerate wear and tear, the X131e has a reinforced hinge to withstand 50,000 open/close cycles.

Dustless fan: filters dust away from the fan assembly to extend the life of the fan.

Strengthened AC adapter cable: designed to withstand frequent plugging and unplugging of the laptop.

Enhanced HDD shock performance: protects against damage from students by incorporating rubber padding around the hard drive.

The ThinkPad X131e also meets the needs of IT teams with its range of optional services including asset tagging for inventory control, ThinkPad Warranty Upgrades with onsite repair to provide tech help at school and ThinkPad Accidental Damage Protection which turns expensive out-of-warranty repairs into predictable, managed expenses.

The X131e comes in custom colors4 and the school can opt to have its logo etched into the top cover.

Pricing and Availability5

The ThinkPad X131e laptop will be available starting today from business partners and on www.lenovo.com. Pricing for models starts at $499.

Lenovo (HKSE: 0992) (PINK SHEETS: LNVGY) is a $US30 billion personal technology company – and the second largest PC company in the world, serving customers in more than 160 countries. Dedicated to building exceptionally engineered PCs and mobile internet devices, Lenovo’s business is built on product innovation, a highly-efficient global supply chain and strong strategic execution. Formed by Lenovo Group’s acquisition of the former IBM Personal Computing Division, the company develops, manufactures and markets reliable, high-quality, secure and easy-to-use technology products and services. Its product lines include legendary Think-branded commercial PCs and Idea-branded consumer PCs, as well as servers, workstations, and a family of mobile internet devices, including tablets and smart phones. Lenovo has major research centres in Yamato, Japan; Beijing, China; and Raleigh, North Carolina. For more information, see www.lenovo.com.

1 3.93 lbs (1.78kg) with 6-cell battery2 With 6-cell battery3 Compared to previous models4 Minimum order quantities and lead times vary based on customer customization requirements.5 Prices do not include tax or shipping and are subject to change without notice and is tied to specific terms and conditions. Reseller prices may vary. Price does not include all advertised features. All offers subject to availability. Lenovo reserves the right to alter product offerings and specifications at any time without notice. Pricing varies by configuration and business partner.

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